Hastings- In the penultimate conference game of the season, the Hastings Raiders rallied from an early deficit and pulled away to blowout Saint Thomas Academy 10-2 at Grossman Field. The Raiders used timely hitting, an error filled performance by the Cadets, and excellent fielding, to clamp down and keep their slim conference title hopes alive.
The Cadets would strike first, using some early hitting to take a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning. The Raiders would be held off the scoreboard in the 1st, and Al Hendrickson would hold the Cadets at bay in the 2nd frame. After Tanner Anselment would record the first hit of the game, he would eventually make it all the way around to third base. Then, the Raiders would get their first run in an unconventional way. The Cadets pitcher would slip and fall while attempting to throw a pitch, landing on his back just off the mound. This would be a balk and would score Anselment. The Cadets would not score the rest of the game.
Hastings would take over the game in the third inning, compiling four runs and virtually batting around. The Raiders took a 5-2 lead as a result. After no score in the 4th inning, Hastings clamped down defensively, before blowing the game open in the 5th with 5 runs. Saint Thomas Academy self destructed in the inning, committing three errors, and the Raiders would get some well placed hits from Mitch Iliff, Tanner Anselment and others to explode to a 10-2 lead. Neither team would score in the 6th inning, and after Saint Thomas emptied the dugout to try and find some offense, the Raiders would hold them at bay, and now needed to beat Hill-Murray and have Two Rivers beat Saint Thomas to have a three way share of the conference title.
Al Hendrickson got the win on the mound, going all 7 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned and 2 strikeouts. The hitting stats were as followed:
1 hit: Cade Kimmes, Mitch Iliff, Al Hendrickson
2 hits: Tanner Anselment, Blake Vandehoef
RBIs: Iliff, Seleski, Anselment, DeNoyer, Vandehoef
Anselment had a double
Vandehoef has a stolen base
The Raiders went to 12-5 with the victory.
